Scenes need more than bands to thrive, and the enduring heavy music scenes in the Triangle have a strong, experienced support network of venues, labels, promoters, and media to help build an audience for louder sounds. These are a few of the major places and players who have kept the volume cranked up for years and are keeping the Triangle heavy now.
The Maywood
Venues in the Triangle are generally welcoming to heavy music, but only Raleigh’s The Maywood has made housing local and touring metal bands its core mission. The venue’s summer calendar includes visits from touring death metal bands Tomb Mold, Superstition, and Innumerable Forms; melodic doom icons Khemmis and death-doom dealers Bog Body; and local-driven showcases like the annual Thrashitorium Throwdown and the Medium Well in Hell black metal barbecue.
Sorry State Records
Downtown Raleigh vinyl shop Sorry State Records opened its storefront in 2013 after operating since 2005 as a label and mail order outlet. In those fourteen years, Sorry State has been a conduit for N.C. punk bands, helping the likes of Essex Muro, Mind Dweller, and No Love reach beyond hometown crowds; introducing local fans to the wide world of punk with Sorry-State-imprinted releases as well as those stocked online and in-store. While other labels (To Live a Lie, Bunker Punks, etc.) and other shops (Bull City Records, Schoolkids Records, etc.) have served similar niches, Sorry State has been a linchpin in the ever-evolving hardcore scene.
WKNC’s Chainsaw Rock
A fixture of NC State student radio’s programming, Chainsaw Rock continues to put louder sounds on local airwaves. And while its broad playlists haven’t always been as deep into the various subgenres and niches as other local players have been, current DJ The Saw has shown herself to be interested and energetic in reaching into the local scene via her website and interview podcast.
Primitive Ways
Laura Lee Greenwood has been a champion of heavy music in the Triangle for years, and with her long-running promotions outfit (and occasional record label), Primitive Ways, she consistently provides platforms for local bands across the full spectrum of heavy rock music, while attracting touring bands to the area. Along with fellow promoters like Deconstruct Booking, Thrashitorium Presents, and Crank It Loud, Primitive Ways has made the Triangle a reliable destination for metal tours.
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